Love Ain't No Joke
by Kelshayyy
Summary: Mainly about Dally and Johnny but focuses on other characters, too. Dally's POV. Dally cares and loves Johnny. He doesn't love him LIKE THAT, but he loves him like family. He wants to show Johnny he cares, but he doesn't want all his friends to know.
1. What Did you do with the Real Dally?

**Disclaimer: Man, I wished I owned 'The Outsiders'. Especially Johnny because Ralph Macchio's cute and he was perfect for the part (: But no...they belong to THE S.E HINTON ! She's one heck of a genius...However, I _do_ own the characters you've never heard about in the book or the movie.**

**Love Ain't No Joke**

**What Did You Do With the Real Dally!**

How can I tell him? Hmmm...how about _Johnny, I love you_. Naw, too forward. Besides, it's not like I dig him _like that_. I ain't never told no one I loved them before. Hell, if i did they'd probably burst out laughing in my face. Now, I ask you: is it my fault Johnny has everything I need in life? Someone to love, to be my pet, to be there when I need him, ya know? I'll tell you the answer: it's _not_ my fault. I need to think of a way to tell Johnny that I love him and I care about him, but I just don't want to make it seem like I dig him...

"Dal! Dal! DALLAS!" I heard Sodapop scream in my ear.

"Huh, what, man?"

"You daydreamin' Dal? That's one thing I wouldn't 'spect outta you!" He said suspiciously.

"Nah, man. Just thinkin' on some things, ya know? Like what law I'm gonna break next." I relpied with humor.

"Ha! Yeah, right, Dal. You ain't never done any thinkin' about _that_ or about _anything_ as long as I've known ya. You don't think before you act. Kinda like Pony here." Darrel said.

"Hey, cut it out! You shouldn't pick on your little brother. Well, at least not your youngest. Pick on Soda and not me for once!" Pony said.

"Hell, Pony. If I was picked on by Darry, I'd be picked to the bone. Have you noticed the size of this guy?" Soda said picking up Darry's arm and feeling his muscle.

"Yeah, and if you don't keep your trap shut I just might use them on ya little buddy." He said trying to give Soda precaution. It worked, too. Soda widened his eyes and sat down slowly on the couch.

I dazed back off into thought again while they continued talking about work and cars and other normal things that guys talk about. You'd probably be right if you guessed a few. I still couldn't figure out how to tell Johnny, though. It was eating at my mind like me wantin' to punch some guy when a parole officer was right behind me or somethin'. I was trying to think of the right words...hmmm..well, I could always use something like _Johnny, I really care about you. I love you like family and I just want you to know that. That I care and I love you._ Yeah, that was pretty good, if I do say so myself...but how would I possibly get Johnny alone? Speaking of which, I wonder where the little guy is...

"Hey ya'll!" I heard Two-Bit yell from his old beat-up Pontiac. "I brought Johnny along with me! I hope ya'll don't mind!"

Well, that just answered my question. I heard the engine stop and the car doors slam. Two-Bit and Johnny walked through the front door and Two-Bit yelled, "Where are ya'll? I'm not _that_ boozed up! No need to run away."

"We're in the kitchen, genius!" Pony said like Tow-Bit was an idiot.

Johnny came walking in first with his hands in his pockets and a puppy-dog-face look. He still had that nasty scar from when Bob the Soc beat him up. I never did get a chance to take care of that guy. Johnny did that for himself. But that made him look all the more innocent and puupy-like. It made him look nice. Like he could be mean if he wanted to, but overall, a good person. He was wearing the same old jean jacket that was way too small for him and the beat-up, ripped pants. He had a lot of grease in his hair and a sad look in his deep, black eyes.

"Johnny, man! What's up?" I asked him.

"Nothin' Dal, just the usual. Parents fighting, beatin' up on me. I had to get away. I really don't think I can take it any more, ya'll." He looked like he was about to cry. I hated it when he did that. It made him look even more cute.

"Well, Johnnycake, you know you're always welcome to stay with us, if you'd like. Any night, any day, any time, kid. You know our door's always open. Literally." Darry said with sympathy.

"I know, Darry. I just don't wanna seem like a bother. You know, like a pest." Johnny said. There was the nice, caring part of him showing.

"Come on, now Johnny! You know you're never a bother! Besides, I could use the company, what with Soda working full-time and Darry...well, not wanting to hang out with me _and_ working."

"Well, would ya'll mind if I stayed here tonight? My dad really did it this time."

"Johnny, man. He really does it all the time. You really don't deserve that." I said with surprising compassion. All of a sudden I felt my cheeks turn red because all my friends were staring at me like I was some kind of a freak show.


	2. Johnny, Let's go for a Ride

**CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN SLASH TO ME? IM CONFUSED...IM VERY NEW AT THIS...THANKS!**

"W-what are you all lookin' at me for! I ain't no idiot, i'm tellin' the truth here' Ya'll _know_ it's the truth, man. Don't try to deny it."

"Yeah, we know it's the truth, Dal. But you ain't one to tell it." Darry said in obvious shock.

"Dally, you're absolutely right. I shouldn't let my parents push me around! I'm just as much of a person as they are! Hell, I'm a _better_person than they are put together! I should stand my ground, you know, fight back!" Johnny said angrily.

Everyone just stared at Johnny. Kinda like they were staring at me. In shock. Johnny wasn't one to talk much at all. Let alone yell about standing up to his parents.

"Well, _two_ shocking things happened in a matter of five minutes," Two-Bit chuckled. "Dally told the truth and Johnny yelled about somethin'!"

"Two-Bit, it isn't funny, man. Johnny doesn't deserve this! He doesn't even do anything, dammit!" I yelled. I was pissed off. I didn't need Two-Bit making a joke about this. It just wasn't right. Damn! I still haven't thought of a way to get Johnny alone! Maybe...

"Hey, Johnny, man. You wanna go for a ride? I got Buck's car still from last night. Some parties that boy throws! Maybe you can cool off and we can talk about your parents and how to deal with it, kay? That OK with you guys if Johnny and me have some brotherly alone time?" I asked them willingly, but not obvious-like.

There Johnny goes with them wide eyes again! He's so damn cute when he does that! I needed to get him out. Now. Alone. I don't care what they say! I need to get him alone so I can tell him...wait. Am I starting to _dig_ Johnny? And this time I mean _dig_ him. Naw, can't be. I've gone out with almost as many girls as Soda. Made-out with all of them at least once. Or sometimes I did more. Besides, that's pretty god considering some relationships only lasted one night. I'm not a guy to get too attached. Especially to another guy.

"Dallas, you sure? I mean you usually tell me to get over it or fight back or somethin'. You never usually care or bother to talk to me about it. I think that'd be really nice to let it all out. I knew you were my role-model for some reason, Dal!" Johnny said with pride.

Hearing him say that made a warm, butterfly feeling in my stomach. Kinda like...well, to be perfectly honest, kinda like falling in love. But in this case it was brotherly love, right? Well, at least I hoped so. I shook my head to get all of these weird thoughts out of my head.

"OK then, we'll talk to all the rest of you guys later. Come on, Johnny." I hollered. I was already halfway out the door.

"Right behind you, Dallas!" Johnny yelled. I could tell he was happy which makes me happy. Johnny being so small had to run to catch up with me. Since (yes, I admit this) I have a pretty big ego and a lot of pride, being from New York, I take long, tough-like strides.

When we got to the car, I decided to come out with it straightforward. "Johnny, I need you to know this. It's not easy for me to say to someone, so bear with me." I said nervously.

"Well, Dal, you came to talk to me. You know you can talk to me about anything and I'll listen to you. We're practically family. Better you and the gang than my parents. I wish I could just move out and live with you or one of the other guys. I hate it when my folks fight! I hate it at home! I just hate my life!"

"Johnny! Don't say that, man! You don't know how much I care about you! Don't you realize I _love_ you Johnny Cade! I love you!"


	3. It's Nice to Hear 'I Love You'

**Sorry I didn't put the disclaimer on last chapter x ! ATTENTION: THIS IS _NOT_ GOING TO BE A SLASH STORY !**

**Disclaimer: Man, I wished I owned 'The Outsiders'. Especially Johnny because Ralph Macchio's cute and he was perfect for the part (: But no...they belong to THE S.E HINTON ! She's one heck of a genius...However, I _do_ own the characters you've never heard about in the book or the movie.**

**Love Ain't No Joke**

**Chapter Three: It's Nice to Hear 'I Love You'**

Johnny had a very shocked expression on his face. "Well, Dallas. You _do_ mean like brotherly love, right?"

"Yeah, Johnny, I do. I just wanted you to realize I care a lot about you. Those three words just seemed so perfect becasue you _are_ the only thing I love, Johnnycake. Even if it _is_ only like a brother." That's when I realized it. My feelings for Johnny weren't like my feelings towards girls. It was more like 'I really care about you' feelings. That made me feel a lot better about myself.

"Dal, I've always wanted to hear those three words from someone. The last person I expected was you. I expected Pony to say it a long time ago. We're all so much like family, the whole gang, ya know? I thought one of us would say it sooner or later. Dallas, I really admire you more than I did before. You've got guts and you said what you've never said to _anyone_ before to me. I really feel like a somebody. You make me feel like I've never felt in my life: loved and wanted."

"Johnny, man, I'm really happy you feel better about yourself. Oh shit! We didn't even start the car yet! The boys are probably _really_ freaked out about me now. First I get sappy, now this. Man, I'm outta wack!" I said. I started the car and sure enough when I looked out the rearview mirror, the boys were up against the screen of the door looking anxiously to see what was going on.

"Dallas, what are you doin' to Johnny?" Pony yelled trying to be funny. I could barely hear him over the loud engine of Buck's Chevy.

"Whadda ya think I'm doin' to the kid, Pony? Rapin' him?" I hollered back sarcastically.

"Well, as long as you dont drive like you did last time then I trust you with him." Pony said, referring to when I drove them to DQ after they lived on bologna for the week in the old abandoned church in Windrixville after Johnny killed that Soc. The trial was comin' up soon. Thank God I got Johnny just in the nick of time before that roof came crashing down on us. I jumped out the window with him like a madman. I broke half the glass which gave us even more scars besides the ones from the burns. But, if I wouldn't have done that, Johnny would be dead right now and not sitting beside me...

I put the gears into second and started driving off. "Well, Dal, since you got all that out, what do you wanna talk about now? I don't know about you, but I'm starvin'. Can we get somethin' to eat, man?" Johnny asked very hopefully. He doesn't get fed much from his parents and definetly doesn't like vegetables which made him scrawny with not much muscle. But that appearance is what made Johnycake, well, Johnnycake.

"Sure, Johnny. You wanna go to McDonald's? I hear they got some new chicken things for 25 cents. I think you get ten. That sound good to you?" I asked.

"Chicken sounds good to me, Dal!" He said happily and excitedly as I pulled into the McDonald's on the highway. In all, there must be about 50 McDonald's on this highway. It's a pretty long road and you can never have too many McDonalds' I suppose. I went up to the drive-thru and a girl about my age with blonde hair and blue eyes and a terrific smile. Her teeth were pearly white and she had a really nice, sexy voice. I gave her my order of two 10-piece chicken nugget baskets.

"Do you want fries with that?" She asked in that voice of hers.

"I'll only buy them if you tell me your name." I said micheiviously.

"Cindy. Cindy Harris. Do you need my phone number to get another order?" She asked just as mischeiviously.

"Well, I couldn't complain. You can never get enough of McDonald's fries."

She gave me her phone numbeer on a napkin and asked me to call her tonight. She was obviously a greasy girl because she wanted to meet me at Buck's. No Socs, and I mean _no_ Socs were ever allowed at Bucks. If one tried to come in (which usually didn't happen because they probably thought they were to good for Buck's anyways) they would get the boot. Lilterally. Buck kicked out a guy Soc one time and he literally _kicked_ him out with his brand-new (well at least they _were_ brand-new then) steel-toe cowboy boots. That guy probably got a serious infection for the next few weeks! I kinda found it funny...

"Sure, I'll call you. Maybe around seven-ish...then we can find a time to meet at Buck's place?" I asked.

"Sounds good to me! Oops! I almost forgot! What's _your_ name! I can't have a complete stranger calling me!" She said with a magnifcent grin.

"Dallas Winston. But you can call me Dally. Everyone else does."

"Alright, Dally. Here's your food and I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye, baby."

I drove away from the drive-thru and parked in the parking lot so me and Johnny could eat. "See, Johnny? Now _that_ is how you get a girl."

"She's a real good-lookin' girl, Dal. I still wonder how you do it..."

"Practice, Johnnycake. Just takes practice."


End file.
